Morale is low at Northwest

Job uncertainty leaves employees on shaky ground.

Job uncertainty leaves employees on shaky ground.

February 02, 2006|JOSHUA STOWE Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Here at South Bend Regional Airport, Northwest Airlines employees have been wondering for months if they'll keep their current jobs. Ever since September, when Northwest filed for bankruptcy, employees have faced uncertainty, said John Schalliol, the airport's executive director. There's a possibility that Northwest, in an effort to cut costs, might outsource the local jobs, he said. And that possibility continues to concern the 23 local employees, said Kevin Coates, Northwest's customer service manager at the airport. "It's the unknown that's killing everybody," he said. "You can't forecast the future. You just deal with it day by day." Coates said employees won't learn what happens next until March. "It's really tough on a lot of folks," he said. Coates said he and his fellow employees are like a "second family," adding, "A lot of people have moved here, have lived here for several years." But now, Coates said, many already are planning their next move, seeing their situation as a chance to make a fresh start in a new career. "Anybody at this station that hasn't looked into their future by now will have a rude awakening," he said. "The morale is low, but they've got a good head on them." Coates said that as he understands it, Northwest will continue to serve the airport; the only question is whether it will continue to provide jobs for its current employees. Schalliol said that the airline may contract its jobs out to another company -- either a national one, he said, or perhaps one that is locally based. Jennifer Bagdade, a Northwest spokeswoman, said that "it's premature to speculate" about "jobs or staffing changes." Northwest has no plans to change its schedule, she said, adding that staffing will be sufficient to meet customer needs. Meanwhile, employees continue to wonder what their future will hold. "There's nothing imminent. This has been going on for months," Schalliol said. "The problem, of course, is that the employees don't know what will happen, when it's gonna happen, or if it's gonna happen."